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Monday, December 28, 2009

Meatless Monday: Vegetarian Enchiladas

For this week's meatless recipe, I'm bringing you my special recipe for Vegetarian Enchiladas! Even though I just ate breakfast, I'm hungry again just thinking about this delicious recipe.

What makes these enchiladas so special?

Well, firstly, they're stuffed with a zesty combination of fresh corn, zucchini, green beans and tofu, wrapped in corn tortillas. Then, these puppies are topped with my extra special homemade enchilada sauce. Alright, I know, that sounds like a lot of work, but I promise that it's worth the effort! That canned stuff doesn't hold a candle to my sauce. It's is loaded with big flavors, like cumin, cinnamon, pepper and onion, and tasty enough to eat straight with a spoon.

A good tip? Make an extra big batch of enchilada sauce and freeze half for the next time you make enchiladas, because I promise you'll be making these again and again. Also, I topped my enchiladas with a little queso fresco, but if you refrain from using cheese, these bad boys are totally vegan. Enjoy!

To make the enchilada sauce, heat the olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the jalapeno and garlic and saute for another minute. Next, add the chili powder, cumin and cinnamon and stir to combine. Cook for another minute. Add the tomatoes and the sugar and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for 20 minutes.

Then, remove the sauce from the heat and allow to cool. Working in batches, puree the sauce in a blender. Finally, season to taste with salt and pepper.

To make the filling, heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic cloves and cook for another minute. Then, add the green beans, zucchini and the corn and cook until softened, about another 8 minutes. Add the spinach and tofu and cook until the spinach is wilted, about another 3-4 minutes. Season to taste with salt & pepper.

To make the enchiladas, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Spread a little sauce over the bottom of a Pyrex baking dish. Meanwhile, heat the grapeseed oil in a cast iron or frying pan over medium heat. Place a corn tortilla in the oil, and lightly fry on each side. Remove to paper towels to cool. Spoon some of the filling into the tortilla and roll it up. Place the rolled up enchilada in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

Once all the tortillas have been filled, rolled and placed side by side in the baking dish, spoon the enchilada sauce over the top and sprinkle with the queso fresco. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.

To serve, place two enchiladas on a plate and top with the chopped cilantro. Enjoy!